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Answer
To “abide” means to live, continue, or remain; therefore, abiding in Christ entails living in Him or remaining in Him. When a person is saved, they are described as being “in Christ” (Romans 8:1;2 Corinthians 5:17), held securely in a permanent relationship (John 10:28-29). Therefore, abiding in Christ is not a unique level of Christian experience; instead, it is the position of all genuine believers. The distinction between those abiding in Christ and those not abiding in Christ lies in the contrast between the saved and the unsaved.
The concept of abiding in Christ is conveyed in 1 John 2:5–6, where it is synonymous with “knowing” Christ (verses 2 and 3). Later in the same chapter, John links “remaining” in the Father and the Son with having the promise of eternal life (verses 24 and 25). Biblically, “abiding in,” “remaining in,” and “knowing” Christ all refer to the same thing: salvation.
The expression abiding in Christ illustrates an intimate, close relationship, not merely a superficial acquaintance. In John 15:4–7, Jesus instructs His disciples that drawing life from Him is crucial, using the analogy of branches united to a vine: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Without that vital union with Christ that salvation provides, there can be no life and no productivity. Else
Where the Bible compares our relationship with Christ to that of a body with a head «And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. », (Colossians 1:18)—another crucial union.
Some individuals interpret the warning of John 15:6 (branches that do not abide in the vine are thrown away and burned) to imply that Christians are constantly at risk of losing their salvation. In essence, they suggest that it is possible to be saved but not “abide,” in which case we would be cast away. However, this could only be accurate if “abiding” were distinct from salvation, indicating a level of intimacy with Christ that we must strive to achieve post-salvation. The Bible clearly states that salvation is a result of grace and is sustained by grace (Galatians 3:2-3). Furthermore, if a branch could somehow detach from the vine, leading to the loss of salvation, it would contradict other very explicit passages of Scripture (see John 10:27-30).
The most appropriate way to interpret the True Vine analogy is as follows: Jesus is the True Vine, undoubtedly. The branches that “abide” in Him are the genuinely saved—they have a genuine and vital connection to the Savior. The withered branches that do not “abide” in Him are the unsaved impostors who pretended to be attached to the Vine but did not derive any life from Him. Ultimately, the impostors will be revealed for who they truly were: mere followers who lacked a genuine connection to Jesus. Initially, both Peter and Judas appeared similar in their relationship with Christ. However, Peter was connected to the Vine; Judas was not.
John reaffirms the principle of the withered branch in this manner: “They [individuals now against Christ] went out from us, but they were not really part of us. For if they had been part of us, they would
They could have stayed with us; however, their departure indicated that they were not truly part of our group. “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1 John 2:19).
One of the evidences of salvation is perseverance, which means remaining steadfast in Christ. The saved individuals will persist in their journey with Christ as seen in Revelation 2:26. In other words, they will “abide” or stay connected to Him. God will bring His work in them to completion, “being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6), and they will produce abundant fruit for the glory of God, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5). Those who drift away, turn away from Christ, or fail to abide simply reveal their lack of genuine faith. Abiding is not what saves us, but it is one of the indicators of salvation.
Indications of abiding in Christ (i.e., signs that one is genuinely saved and not merely pretending) include obeying Christ’s commands (John 15:10;1 John 3:24); following Jesus’ example, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:6); living a life free from habitual sin, “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” (1 John 3:6)
/a>; and the recognition of a divine presence within one’s life «Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. », (1 John 4:13).
